Morocco experienced its deadliest earthquake in decades, claiming the lives of over 1,000 people, authorities reported on Saturday.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck a mountainous area 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, a popular tourist destination, at 11:11 pm (2211 GMT) on Friday, as confirmed by the US Geological Survey.
Strong tremors reverberated in coastal cities like Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira.
Ghannou Najem, an elderly Casablanca resident visiting Marrakesh when the earthquake struck, described the terrifying moment, “I was nearly asleep when I heard the doors and the shutters banging. I went outside in a panic. I thought I was going to die alone.”
This earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in the North African kingdom, has been labeled the region’s “biggest in more than 120 years” by experts.
Bill McGuire, a professor emeritus at Britain’s University College London, explained that in areas where destructive earthquakes are infrequent, buildings often lack sufficient robustness, leading to numerous collapses and resulting in a high number of casualties.
According to updated figures from the interior ministry on Saturday, the earthquake claimed at least 1,037 lives, with the majority of casualties in Al-Haouz, the epicenter, and Taroudant provinces.
Additionally, 1,204 people sustained injuries, including 721 in critical condition.
The ministry recorded fatalities in other provinces like Ouarzazate, Chichaoua, Azilal, Youssoufia, as well as in major cities such as Marrakesh, Agadir, and the Casablanca area.